1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an improved golf club used for putting. The invention also provides an improved method for putting and a specific putter useful for teaching and learning the improved putting method.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Putting is one of the most difficult and controversial parts of playing the game of golf. When putting, if the ball is not hit with the precise amount of strength and at in a precise direction it will either not reach the hole or miss it completely.
Various attempts have been made to design putters that can facilitate the problems incurred in putting. Numerous putters have been provided which are designed to be used with a pendulum motion for stroking the golf ball. These putters suffer various drawbacks in that they encourage movement of the upper or stationary hand. They also encourage movement of the upper body. Such movement tends to alter the direction of the putt.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,967,999 to Pardoe shows a golf club with an angled surface at the extremity of the grip. However, this grip is not designed or even suggested to be used for a putter but rather is for the correction of a hook or a slice when the golfer is hitting a drive. The angled surface lies in a plane at an acute angle to the plane the face of the club.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,949,304 to W. S. Williams discloses a putter designed to be used with a pendulum type motion putting stroke. However, the handle is provided with an extension formed at a right angle to the shaft for the placement the upper hand. The upper hand is not centered over the shaft resulting in increased likelihood that when the putter strikes the ball it is not precisely returned to the angle initially intended. A similar type of putter with the same disadvantage is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,252,317 to Vezine.
Another pendulum type putter is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,092,839 to Gouverneur. In this putter the upper grip is in the form of a ball extending from a thin web. The plane of the movement of the club is controlled by the fingers lying on either side of the web. This configuration makes it difficult to maintain the precise angle of the club relative to the ball during the putting stroke.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,491,323 to Kozub discloses a putter with separate upper and lower grips and which is designed to be used with a pendulum type putting stroke. However, the upper grip must be gripped between the thumb and an opposing finger. This grip lacks the stability of one which is designed so that the entire upper hand is used to stabilize the upper end of the club.